The Earth’s
Biomes
Home Sweet Biome
What is a biome?
• A biome is a region of Earth where the
climate determines the types of plants that
live there.
• The types of plants in a biome determine the
types of animals that live there.
What makes one biome different from
another?
• Climate is the main abiotic factor that
characterizes a biome.
• The position of a biome on Earth affects its
climate. For example, biomes closer to the
poles have colder climates, those closer to
the equator have warmer climates.
What makes one biome different from
another?
• Other abiotic factors that characterize a
biome include soil type, amount of sunlight,
and amount of water available.
• Abiotic factors affect which organisms can
live in a biome.
What makes one biome different from
another?
• Plants and animals that live in a biome have
adaptations to its unique conditions.
• For example, animals in biomes that are cold
all year often grow thick fur coats. Plants in
biomes with seasonal temperature changes
lose their leaves and become inactive in
winter.
Life in a Biome
How are ecosystems related to biomes?
• Most biomes stretch across huge areas of
land. Within each biome are smaller areas
called ecosystems.
• Each ecosystem includes a specific
community of organisms and their physical
environment.
World Biomes
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tundra
taiga (boreal forest)
desert
grassland
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deciduous forest
rain forest
freshwater
marine
tundra
• Tundra has low average temperatures and
very little precipitation. It is found in the
Arctic and in high mountain regions.
• The ground contains permafrost, a thick
layer of permanently frozen soil beneath the
surface.
• The plants have shallow roots. Some animals
develop thick fur, some migrate to warmer
areas before winter, and some hibernate.
tundra biome
tundra plants and animals
tundra biome
tundra biome
http://preview.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignmentdiscovery-shorts-iii-biomes-tundra/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b91MGt-Bg4
taiga (boreal forest)
• Taiga, also called boreal forest, has low
average temperatures but more precipitation
than the tundra. Taiga biomes are found in
Canada and northern Europe and Asia.
• Taiga plants include coniferous trees, which
are trees that have evergreen, needlelike
leaves.
• Migratory birds live in taiga in summer.
Some animals live there year-round, and
some undergo seasonal changes in fur color.
taiga (boreal forest)
taiga (boreal forest)
taiga (boreal forest)
taiga (boreal forest)
http://preview.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignmentdiscovery-shorts-iii-biomes-taiga/
desert
• Desert biomes are very dry. Some receive
less than 8 centimeters (3 inches) of
precipitation each year. Desert soil is rocky
or sandy.
• Many deserts are hot during the day and cold
at night, although some have milder
temperatures.
• Plants and animals in this biome have
adaptations that let them conserve water
and survive extreme temperatures.
desert biome
desert plants and animals
desert biome
• Describe how each plant and animal shown
here is adapted to the desert biome.
desert
http://preview.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignmentdiscovery-shorts-iii-biomes-deserts/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0zIQjzmnT8
grassland
• A grassland is a biome that has grasses and
few trees.
• Tropical grasslands, such as the African
savanna, have high average temperatures
throughout the year. They also have wet and
dry seasons.
• Thin soils support grasses and some trees.
Grazing animals feed on the grasses, and
predators hunt the grazing animals.
grassland biome
grassland plants and animals
grassland biome
grassland
http://preview.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignmentdiscovery-shorts-iii-biomes-temperate-grassland/
deciduous forest
• Temperate deciduous forests have moderate
precipitation, hot summers, and cold winters.
• This biome has deciduous trees, which are
broadleaf trees that drop their leaves as
winter approaches.
• During winter, some animals hibernate, but
others are active year-round. Many birds
migrate to warmer areas before winter.
deciduous forest
deciduous forest plants and animals
deciduous forest biome
deciduous forest
http://preview.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignmentdiscovery-shorts-iii-biomes-temperate-forest/
rain forest
• Temperate rain forests have a long, cool wet
season and a relatively dry summer.
• There are many coniferous trees, and the
forest floor is covered with mosses and
ferns. The soil is nutrient-rich and plants
grow throughout the year.
• Animals include spotted owls, shrews, elk,
and cougars.
rain forest
• Tropical rain forests are located near Earth’s
equator. This biome is warm throughout the
year, and it receives more rain than any
other biome.
• The soil is acidic and nutrient-poor. Yet,
these forests sustain dense layers of plants
and some of the highest biological diversity
on Earth.
• Birds, monkeys, and sloths live in the upper
layers of the rain forest. Leafcutter ants,
jaguars, snakes, and anteaters live in the
lower layers.
rainforest biome
rainforest plants and animals
rainforest biome
• What species can you identify in the different
layers of a tropical rain forest?
rain forest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M8Bqkug9GA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i58RWMuVLbQ
aquatic biomes
• The major abiotic factors that affect aquatic
ecosystems include water temperature,
water depth, amount of light, oxygen level,
water pH, salinity, and rate of water flow.
http://preview.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignmentdiscovery-shorts-iii-biomes-aquatic/
freshwater
• Freshwater ecosystems contain water that
has very little salt in it. They are found in
lakes, ponds, wetlands, rivers, and streams.
• Some plants grow at the edges of lakes and
ponds. Others live underwater or grow
leaves that float on the surface.
freshwater
• Lakes and ponds contain protists, such as
algae and amoebas, and the eggs and young
of frogs and some insects.
• Clams, bacteria, and worms live on the
bottom of lakes and ponds and break down
dead materials for food.
• Frogs, turtles, fish, and ducks have
adaptations that let them swim in lakes and
ponds.
• Describe how different plants and animals
are adapted to life in or on a pond.
freshwater biome
freshwater plants and animals
freshwater biome
freshwater
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/freshwater-biomes-climatelocations-plants-animals.html#lesson
marine
• Marine ecosystems are saltwater
ecosystems. They cover more than 70
percent of Earth’s surface.
• Marine ecosystems are found in the coastal
ocean, open ocean, and deep ocean.
marine
• Marine ecosystems in and along coastal
oceans include the intertidal zone and the
neritic zone.
• The intertidal zone is the land between high
and low tides that includes beaches and
rocky shores.
• Organisms that live in this zone are often
adapted to changing water depth, wave
action, exposure to air, and changing
salinity.
marine
• The neritic zone is the underwater zone from
the shore to the edge of the continental
shelf.
• Light reaches the bottom of the neritic zone,
allowing algae and many plants to live there.
• Coral reefs and kelp forests are found in the
neritic zone.
marine
• The open ocean includes all surface waters
down to a depth of about 2,000 meters
(6,562 feet). The majority of sea life is found
there.
• Ecosystems at the surface are often
dominated by tiny organisms called
plankton. Organisms adapted to dark, cold
conditions live at greater depths.
• Ecosystems in the bathyal zone, which
extends from the edge of the continental
shelf to its base, are also considered open
ocean ecosystems.
marine
• Deep ocean ecosystems include those in the
abyssal zone, which is the part of the ocean
below 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).
• Some species that live in the deep ocean
have bioluminescence, producing a glowing
light to attract mates or prey.
• Microorganisms living near hydrothermal
vents use chemicals in the water as an
energy source.
marine biome
marine plants and animals
marine biome
marine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_LFFhfZOqU
Desert Scrub
Deciduous Forest
Desert
Chaparral
Taiga
Savanna
Grasslands
Rainforest
Tundra
Alpine